A retired Warwickshire RAF air marshal and his co-pilot were killed when their plane crashed in a freak accident at an air show, an inquest heard.

A retired Warwickshire RAF air marshal and his co-pilot were killed when their plane crashed in a freak accident at an air show, an inquest heard.

Sir Kenneth Hayr, aged 66, of Avon Dassett, and avionics technician Jonathan Kerr, aged 32, were flying a vintage RAF fighter at the Biggin Hill Air Show in Kent when tragedy struck on June 2 last year.

The 1956 Vampire jet "flipped over" and went into a nose-dive, according to air accident investigator Captain David Miller.

The pilot lost control after the plane was sucked into a powerful air vortex generated by another, larger jet, a Sea Vixen, which was banking sharply ahead of it as part of the display.

Thousands of spectators watched in horror as the plane plummeted to the ground in a nearby field.

An inquest jury at Croydon Coroner's Court returned verdicts of accidental death.

Captain Miller told the inquest that the plane had "flipped over" and Sir Kenneth was unable to regain full control.

He added: "Sir Kenneth made a valiant attempt to recover the situation but the height wasn't sufficient to do so."

Sir Kenneth's son, Julian, aged 36, a fashion photographer, of Fulham, north London, told the hearing that his father had a distinguished career with the RAF.

Sir Kenneth was the first Harrier jump jet squadron leader and was at one time in charge of air safety for the RAF.

Mr Hayr said that on his retirement in 1993 his father continued to indulge his passion for flying at air shows.